Student Volunteering Week is here (Monday, 9 February – Sunday, 15 February) – a time to celebrate community, connection, and the quiet but powerful work students do to uplift one another.
Among the many volunteering opportunities available at Open SU, the Library Study Volunteer (LSV) service is a deeply meaningful example of what it means to empower others through learning.
LSVs support students in secure environments (SiSE) by helping them access academic resources that would otherwise be out of reach. Their reflections show not only why volunteering matters, but how it creates meaningful impact for all who take part.
The motivation for volunteering
Across backgrounds, subjects, and life experiences, volunteers share a deep motivation to offer something meaningful to others. One volunteer described their motivation:
“I wanted to make a difference and give a little back, I have gained so much from studying at the OU and it is great to have the opportunity to give back and help people to gain some of the experiences I have gained through my studies.”
Volunteers consistently point to qualities they see in OU students everywhere: motivation, resilience, adaptability, and the ability to persist alongside busy or challenging lives. One volunteer captured this by saying:
“I think, compared to students at brick unis, OU students often have a lot more to juggle around their studies, and in my experience have often experienced more adversity. I think, also, due to the rather hands-off method of teaching, OU students must all have a great deal of motivation to learn, even if at times we may feel unmotivated.”
This shared experience is exactly what makes OU learners well-placed to support others. Volunteers know how difficult study can be – and how transformative. One of our volunteers commented that, when studying with the OU, “You take responsibility for your own progress. That can be empowering in secure environments because it creates routine and purpose, and it gives you something you can control, consistent progress towards a qualification and a future goal.”
The personal benefits of volunteering
While volunteering centres on helping others, the personal benefits shine through too. For many, the research abilities of volunteers have grown significantly, as someone highlighted:
“It has definitely improved my research skills – particularly my familiarity with different databases, and ways of adapting my search techniques to find a bigger or more relevant range of resources.”
The variety of research requests has also made volunteers more curious about topics they previously knew little about. One said: “I like the challenge of seeing what is requested – will I understand it, and will I learn something from the resources I find? Also, I find that sometimes it spurs me on to look further into the topic that has been requested just out of personal curiosity.”
Volunteers also speak with warmth about the culture of the volunteers’ group. One described it as: “The community of others who, you can tell, love helping.”
Perhaps most meaningful is the sense of purpose volunteers feel. As one person shared:
“I find it very meaningful that the research I do and resources I send to students in secure environments will help them complete their assignments, and that, as a result, they might get higher grades for their TMAs and EMAs.”
Helping others to succeed
Volunteers consistently say that knowing their support genuinely helps another student is deeply rewarding: “I think it is commendable that people in prison are trying to turn their life around by studying with the OU, and I wanted to offer my support through this volunteering opportunity. I can't imagine what it would be like not having access to the library to complete my degree. It feels like an impossible task. That's why I think it is very important for students in secure environments to have access to library resources through the Library Study Volunteer service, and I am very proud to be part of the team.”
Volunteers find that SiSE feedback and inspiring student stories highlight the service's impact: “I enjoy reading the feedback we receive from students in secure environments about the Library Study Volunteer service (whether positive or constructive feedback). I also enjoy reading the contributions from students in secure environments in The Hoot SiSE Newsletter. It gives us a bit of insight of what it is like to study from a secure environment.”
A shared experience
Volunteering allows OU students to contribute to someone else’s study journey in a practical and supportive way.
These quotes from volunteers show that student volunteering is not simply an act of service; it is a shared experience that builds confidence, skills, and connection. It strengthens communities across physical and social boundaries, and highlights how education can create meaningful change in people’s lives.
If you are interested in becoming a Library Study Volunteer, please look out for our advert in the summer – we recruit once a year. Make sure you are subscribed to our Open SU Newsletter to learn when roles open again.
In the meantime, if you would like to get involved with the SiSE Hoot Newsletter, which is published twice a year and sent to secure settings, please get in touch with our team via oustudents-belonging@open.ac.uk.
To find more opportunities, please check the volunteer roles currently advertised on our website.